Welcome to The Purse Forum.

cinshad · Aug 8th, 2008, 01:19 PM

Not sure where to post this question. I have bought quite a few sterling silver jewelry items on eBay. Some are new and some vintage. Some designer, some with natural stones, some lab created created, some czs. All stamped or marked as sterling. Mostly bracelets and necklaces and enhancers. I got a bracelet that just did not look right so did a google search to see how to home test for silver and saw in a few places that silver (and gold) will not be attracted to a magnet. It is not a definite test as there are other base metals that will not be attracted to a magnet. So I got out a strong magnet and the bracelet was SLIGHTLY attracted to the magnet. Not nearly as strong as steel is, but still stick to and pull toward the magnet. That got me curious so I tried the magnet test on all of my jewelry. Well, none of my gold jewelry reacted at all to the magnet. But about a third of my marked sterling or stamped 925 jewelry did exhibit slight attraction to the magnet everywhere on the items. A few items did only near the clasps so I think they have a steel spring or mechanism in the clasps so not really concerned. Many of my QVC or HSN sterling items were slightly magnetic, though. And a couple of the sterling items were so strongly magnetic that the magnet actually picked them up. Does anyone know what the heck does it mean? Is the magnet test at all reliable? Does being slightly magnetic mean they are not sterling? Or they are? Could it mean that they have another metal mixed with the silver? None are marked as plated. If anyone has a magnet, please check your silver jewelry and let me know if it is attracted to the magnet or not. If anyone knows what the results mean, also please let me know.

Melissa71 · Aug 8th, 2008, 08:59 PM

I wonder if it matters what the silver was mixed with. Don't they have some sort of alloy in it to make it stronger? Maybe that's why it's marginally attracted to the magnet? I bet Chag or Japster would know the answer to this one.

VuittonsLover · Aug 8th, 2008, 09:09 PM

Thats interesting.

Sounds like.. some of the silver.. is watered down with too much metal alloy.

did you test any of tiffanys silver?

grandefille · Aug 23rd, 2008, 05:12 AM

sterling silver is supposed to be 92.5% real silver
and 7.5 % other metals. Depending on the country and regulations, the alloys will be different
most of the time you will get in European countries the 7.5% to be mix of copper, zinc... None of them being attracted by magnet

Magnet only attracts steel. Could these be steel plated with silver?
A another little test to do, if you can, is to "cut" a notch out, and see if it is the same color inside

Aug 8th, 2008, 01:19 PM	#1
cinshad OP Member Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 204	Sterling Silver Jewelry attracted to magnet or not? Not sure where to post this question. I have bought quite a few sterling silver jewelry items on eBay. Some are new and some vintage. Some designer, some with natural stones, some lab created created, some czs. All stamped or marked as sterling. Mostly bracelets and necklaces and enhancers. I got a bracelet that just did not look right so did a google search to see how to home test for silver and saw in a few places that silver (and gold) will not be attracted to a magnet. It is not a definite test as there are other base metals that will not be attracted to a magnet. So I got out a strong magnet and the bracelet was SLIGHTLY attracted to the magnet. Not nearly as strong as steel is, but still stick to and pull toward the magnet. That got me curious so I tried the magnet test on all of my jewelry. Well, none of my gold jewelry reacted at all to the magnet. But about a third of my marked sterling or stamped 925 jewelry did exhibit slight attraction to the magnet everywhere on the items. A few items did only near the clasps so I think they have a steel spring or mechanism in the clasps so not really concerned. Many of my QVC or HSN sterling items were slightly magnetic, though. And a couple of the sterling items were so strongly magnetic that the magnet actually picked them up. Does anyone know what the heck does it mean? Is the magnet test at all reliable? Does being slightly magnetic mean they are not sterling? Or they are? Could it mean that they have another metal mixed with the silver? None are marked as plated. If anyone has a magnet, please check your silver jewelry and let me know if it is attracted to the magnet or not. If anyone knows what the results mean, also please let me know.
cinshad OP Member Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 204

Aug 23rd, 2008, 05:12 AM	#4
grandefille La Pompadour Joined: May 2007 Location: London - UK Posts: 23	sterling silver is supposed to be 92.5% real silver and 7.5 % other metals. Depending on the country and regulations, the alloys will be different most of the time you will get in European countries the 7.5% to be mix of copper, zinc... None of them being attracted by magnet Magnet only attracts steel. Could these be steel plated with silver? A another little test to do, if you can, is to "cut" a notch out, and see if it is the same color inside
	__________________ Best regards Grandefille

Aug 8th, 2008, 08:59 PM	#2
Melissa71 Member Joined: Jan 2006 Location: Illinois Posts: 2,107	I wonder if it matters what the silver was mixed with. Don't they have some sort of alloy in it to make it stronger? Maybe that's why it's marginally attracted to the magnet? I bet Chag or Japster would know the answer to this one.

Aug 8th, 2008, 09:09 PM	#3
VuittonsLover Cartier Crazy Joined: Sep 2007 Posts: 1,894	Thats interesting. Sounds like.. some of the silver.. is watered down with too much metal alloy. did you test any of tiffanys silver?

Welcome to The Purse Forum.

Our Purse Forum, or TPF, is the #1 online social network for everything designer handbag related. Join over 200,000 enthusiastic members in this friendly community and start engaging in the discussion today.